New fire station on council's agenda

A new fire station in Central Lubbock could fill a gap in emergency coverage and save residents money in insurance premiums if the city moves forward today with plans to build it.

The City Council is expected to vote on a $1.6 million construction contract with Minnix Commercial Partners to build the station at 63rd Street and Indiana Avenue.

The station will improve response times to the neighborhoods around it. It's one of two stations that top the city's to-do list - the other is near the Vintage Township development at 114th Street and Quaker Avenue, Fire Chief Rhea Cooper said. Plans are developing for that station, Cooper said.

Better response times, as monitored by the Insurance Services Organization, could result in lower fire insurance premiums for residents, Cooper said.

The ISO provides risk information for clients, such as insurance companies. Lubbock's ISO rating could improve with the new fire station and thereby lower premiums in the city, Cooper said.

"If we go from a class three (rating) to a class two we could see as much as 8 percent savings in residential fire insurance premiums," Cooper said.

Insurance companies determine their premiums, based on a number of factors, said Ben Gonzales, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Insurance. The ISO is one of those factors - assuming insurance companies pay for their services.